el free to add which buses and trains you commonly use, as well as their destinations. It takes time to accumulate this knowledge, let's put it on the record!
Jack's somewhat concise public transit guide
Go here for maps and charts that give quick, to-the-point directions from every KIS place to every KIS place. Bus routes, subway lines, etc. -- all are listed in organized fashion!
1. Bus
I am sure everyone but me knows about this resource but I have finally found how to get good bus info. I will share it just in case someone out there has wondered, as I have, how to see where buses go, where they stop, and how often they run.The English interactive subway-bus map does not seem to work with MACs so I have been at loss until now.
It's right on NAVER, the Korean google. Since NAVER is in Korean, this is how to find the bus maps without being able to read Korean:
1) Go to www.naver.com
2) Click the fifth white option from the left in the green menu bar below the NAVER title (지 도) (Jido). That will give you a map. You can move the map by click & dragging it and zoom in or out with two finger drag (hard to manage) or the zoom controls on the right. You may want to find your area by orienting to Highway 1, etc. Once you find your neighborhood, find landmarks so you can find it again. I put a digital push pin on my map but then could not figure out how I did it!
3) On the left is a vertical black menu bar (icons). Click the bus icon (third from the top), then click on the bus icon that just appeared in the top left corner of the map. That will give you all the bus stops on the map area you can see.
4) Click a blue bus stop symbol to find out what buses stop there. When there are multiple bus icons that overlap, it helps to zoom in further.
5) Click the bus you want and it will highlight the entire bus route and pop-up a box of bus information. You can follow the route and see exactly where the bus goes and every stop it makes. In the info pop-up box near the top, you can see the time the first bus in the morning starts running (first number), the last bus of the day (second number), and the frequency of the buses, theoretically (3rd #).
As you can probably tell, when you hit that bus icon in the upper left corner of the map, there are lots of other informational options. You can find local restaurants, gas stations, clinics, grocery stores, coffee shops, and more.
This has helped me find all available bus routes and how to catch the buses. Other buttons give rates, etc., which I am not interested in since I use T-money recklessly. With this information, I have been able to see how to get virtually anywhere by bus. By the way, it works for subways, shows bike paths, and a lot of other things also!
- Steve
Addendum by Jack If you want Naver to give you directions for public transit:
1) Follow steps 1 and 2 above.
2) On the left is a vertical black menu bar (icons). Click on the wavy direction arrow (2nd from top).
3) On the window that popped up on the left, click on the subway icon (it's for all public transit, buses too).
4) Immediately to the right of that window is another tiny window with two upside-down teardrop-shaped buttons. Click once (do not hold down, just click) on the one on the left. Move your mouse over the map and you will see that this teardrop moves with you. Click on the starting spot of your trip. (It helps to zoom in as much as possible.) The teardrop will stay there.
5) Go back to the tiny teardrop window and click once on the right-side teardrop. Move your mouse over the map and you will see that this teardrop moves with you. Click on the ending spot of your trip.
6) Naver will give you several direction options. If you were specific enough with start/end points, the first one will usually be the fastest from the present time. But look at all of them to be sure. Oval-shaped, colored icons are subway lines with the subway line name/number of that color inside the icon. This one:
Metropolitan Bundang
is Bundang, for example). Colored rectangles followed by numbers are bus lines of that number and color. This one:
직행버스
is red bus 1251, for example). There are three numbers at the bottom of each option. The first tells you how many minutes the trip will take from right now, including walking and transfer time; the second tells you how much it will cost in won; the third tells you the distance in km.
As you can probably guess by looking at the icons in the left-side small popup window, you can also use this method for driving, biking, and walking routes, times, and distances.
If you have 'local knowledge' about the bus network, add it below, as Kevin Jaramillo has for Woomi and Goodmorning Hill.
For those in the Woomi hood:
If you're going into Seoul avoid the 5*s buses, they stop more. Hop on the 6*s or 8***S even better get over on that M4101 which only allows as many people as there are seats.
The Woomi and Goodmorning Hill Bus Guide (2011-12)
This was circulated in mid 2010 to new staff in the Woomidong! Please edit this as schedules and routes change. There are some gaps too that you may be able to fill. If you live in a different 'dong', maybe chuck your local bus knowledge up too.
Bus #
Woomi Bus Stop - North Bound
Woomi Bus Stop - South Bound
Route
Type/Colour
5
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Lotte Mart, Suji - (South . . . ?)
Local / Yellow
7
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suwon Station - Suwon (South)
Local / Green
7-2
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suwon Station - Suwon (South)
Local / Green
11
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon Station (Shinsegae / Emart) - (South . . . ?)
Local / Yellow
15
Our Road - Near Side
Our Road - Far Side
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suji Emart - LG Apartments (South)
Local / Yellow
16
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suji Emart - LG Apartments - (South . . . ? )
17
Pruen Mart - Far Side
Pruen Mart - Near Side
(North) Migeum Station -
Local / Yellow
17-1
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Dongcheon Dong - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon Station (Shinsegae / Emart) - Bojeong Station / Daedeok Apartments - (South . . . ?)
Local / Yellow
27
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon Station (Shinsegae / Emart) - Bojeong Station / Daedeok Apartments - Shingal - Suwon (South)
Local / Yellow
58
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North . . . ?) Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon Station (Shinsegae / Emart) - Bojeong Station / Daedeok Apartments (South)
Local / Green
67
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North . . . ?) Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon (Guseong) Emart - Gangnam University - Yongin University - (South . . . ?)
Local / Yellow
69
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North . . . ?) Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon (Guseong) Emart - Gangnam University - Yongin University - Yongin Terminal (South)
Local / Green
77-1
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North . . . ?) Moran Station - Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suwon Station (South)
Local / Green
82
Main Road - Far Side
Main Road - Our Side
(North) Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suji Emart - Suwon (South . . . ?)
Local / Green
500
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Seohyeon Station / Samsung Plaza - Bundang - Lotte Mart (Bundang) - Sunae Station - Jeongja Station - Seongnam Daero (Family Mart) - Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Sanghyeon Dong - (South . . . ?)
Local / Green
720
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Namhansanseong Hiking / Temple area - Daewon Tunnel - Yatap Station - Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Aju University (Suwon) - Suwon Station - Suwon (South)
Local / Green
720-1
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Namhansanseong Hiking / Temple area - Shingu College (Seongnam) - Daewon Tunnel - Migeum Station - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suji Emart - Aju University (Suwon) - (South . . . ?)
Local / Green
720-2
?
?
(North . . . ?) Samesong Plaza / Sohyeon Station - Jeongja Station - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Jukjeon Station (Shinsegae / Emart) - Bojeong Station / Daedeok Apartments - (South . . . ?)
Local / Green
1115-5
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Jamsil Station / Sports Complex - Songpa Station - Suseo Station - Pangyo - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Gyeonggi Univ, Suwon (South)
Regional / Red
1550-3
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Sadang Station - Namtaeryeong Station - Gwacheon-si - Pangyo - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Gyeonggi Univ, Suwon (South)
Regional / Red
1550
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Gangnam Station - Pangyo - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - Suji Emart - Shinbong Dong (South)
Regional / Red
5500
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Sejong Arts Ctr / Gwanghwamun - Namsan - Dankook Univ - Hannam Bridge - Pangyo - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Suji Gu - Gyeonggi Univ, Suwon (South)
Non Express / Red
5500-2
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Sejong Arts Ctr / Gwanghwamun - Namsan - Dankook Univ - Hannam Bridge - Pangyo - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Suji Gu - Gyeonggi Univ, Suwon (South)
Express / Red
6800
Across from Homerun Mart
In front of Homerun Mart
(North) Apgujeong (Gangnam) - Sinsa Station - Gangnam Station - Yangjae Station - Pangyo - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu (South)
Regional / Red
6900
Across from Homerun Mart or Main Road - Far Side
In front of Homerun Mart or Main Road - Our Side
(North) Jamsil Station / Sports Complex - Samseong Station / COEX Mall - Ilwon Dong - Hangnyeoul Station - Suseo Station - KIS - Woomi Bus Stop - Mainstreet Suji Gu - (South . . . ?)
Regional / Red
download this table as a document if you want a print-copy:
The train and subway network in Seoul is extensive and amazing! Trains move through each station regularly. It is unusual to wait more than 10mins. When you arrive in Korea, KIS will give a 'T-Card'. This is your rechargeable transit card, used for riding on the metro bus and train network. This card can be recharged at a subway station, or at any GS Mart (cash only).
The following link will help you to find out how to get where you need to go. We all live on the Bundang Line (yellow). Don't pay too much attention to estimated times. These are over-inflated. Good job Kristy Fitzgerald for this! http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/station/eng/linemap.action?eng=Y
How to use the Subway You will find: How to read the subway map; finding the destination; purchasing a ticket; entering the gate and swiping your prepaid ticket; getting on and off the train safely; transferring between subway lines.
Subway Fastest Times - learn how long it takes to get from point A to point B
If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPodTouch, consider downloading the iKorway Subway Map App (US$2.99). It includes all arrival and departure times and even bathroom locations at each subway station. It comes in Korean, but with some fiddling around you can change it to English.
Your local Subway station and how to get there:
Woomi and Goodmorning Hill
Ori Station (10-15 minute walk and can be reached by following the creek or using the underpass to cross the freeway) Migeum Station (accessible by most 'Yellow' buses.
Table of Contents
el free to add which buses and trains you commonly use, as well as their destinations. It takes time to accumulate this knowledge, let's put it on the record!
Jack's somewhat concise public transit guide
Go here for maps and charts that give quick, to-the-point directions from every KIS place to every KIS place. Bus routes, subway lines, etc. -- all are listed in organized fashion!1. Bus
I am sure everyone but me knows about this resource but I have finally found how to get good bus info. I will share it just in case someone out there has wondered, as I have, how to see where buses go, where they stop, and how often they run.The English interactive subway-bus map does not seem to work with MACs so I have been at loss until now.
It's right on NAVER, the Korean google. Since NAVER is in Korean, this is how to find the bus maps without being able to read Korean:
1) Go to www.naver.com
2) Click the fifth white option from the left in the green menu bar below the NAVER title (지 도) (Jido). That will give you a map. You can move the map by click & dragging it and zoom in or out with two finger drag (hard to manage) or the zoom controls on the right. You may want to find your area by orienting to Highway 1, etc. Once you find your neighborhood, find landmarks so you can find it again. I put a digital push pin on my map but then could not figure out how I did it!
3) On the left is a vertical black menu bar (icons). Click the bus icon (third from the top), then click on the bus icon that just appeared in the top left corner of the map. That will give you all the bus stops on the map area you can see.
4) Click a blue bus stop symbol to find out what buses stop there. When there are multiple bus icons that overlap, it helps to zoom in further.
5) Click the bus you want and it will highlight the entire bus route and pop-up a box of bus information. You can follow the route and see exactly where the bus goes and every stop it makes. In the info pop-up box near the top, you can see the time the first bus in the morning starts running (first number), the last bus of the day (second number), and the frequency of the buses, theoretically (3rd #).
As you can probably tell, when you hit that bus icon in the upper left corner of the map, there are lots of other informational options. You can find local restaurants, gas stations, clinics, grocery stores, coffee shops, and more.
This has helped me find all available bus routes and how to catch the buses. Other buttons give rates, etc., which I am not interested in since I use T-money recklessly. With this information, I have been able to see how to get virtually anywhere by bus. By the way, it works for subways, shows bike paths, and a lot of other things also!
- Steve
Addendum by Jack
If you want Naver to give you directions for public transit:
1) Follow steps 1 and 2 above.
2) On the left is a vertical black menu bar (icons). Click on the wavy direction arrow (2nd from top).
3) On the window that popped up on the left, click on the subway icon (it's for all public transit, buses too).
4) Immediately to the right of that window is another tiny window with two upside-down teardrop-shaped buttons. Click once (do not hold down, just click) on the one on the left. Move your mouse over the map and you will see that this teardrop moves with you. Click on the starting spot of your trip. (It helps to zoom in as much as possible.) The teardrop will stay there.
5) Go back to the tiny teardrop window and click once on the right-side teardrop. Move your mouse over the map and you will see that this teardrop moves with you. Click on the ending spot of your trip.
6) Naver will give you several direction options. If you were specific enough with start/end points, the first one will usually be the fastest from the present time. But look at all of them to be sure. Oval-shaped, colored icons are subway lines with the subway line name/number of that color inside the icon. This one:
is Bundang, for example). Colored rectangles followed by numbers are bus lines of that number and color. This one:
is red bus 1251, for example). There are three numbers at the bottom of each option. The first tells you how many minutes the trip will take from right now, including walking and transfer time; the second tells you how much it will cost in won; the third tells you the distance in km.
As you can probably guess by looking at the icons in the left-side small popup window, you can also use this method for driving, biking, and walking routes, times, and distances.
If you have 'local knowledge' about the bus network, add it below, as Kevin Jaramillo has for Woomi and Goodmorning Hill.
Usually the best way to get around.
Jeongja @ Jeongja Station
*8100: Hanamdong, Jongro, Euljiro, Myeongdong
*8101:Kyobo Tower/ Gangnam
8106: Bucheon/ Incheon
8109: Daewha, Madu, Baekseok
*M4102: faster & sitting only Hanam, Jongro, Myeongdong
For those in the Woomi hood:
If you're going into Seoul avoid the 5*s buses, they stop more. Hop on the 6*s or 8***S even better get over on that M4101 which only allows as many people as there are seats.
6900: school, Gangnam, Coex
6800: Sinsa, Gangnam
8201: Gangnam, Lotte World
M4101: Seoul- Myeongdong, Jongro
The Woomi and Goodmorning Hill Bus Guide (2011-12)
This was circulated in mid 2010 to new staff in the Woomidong! Please edit this as schedules and routes change. There are some gaps too that you may be able to fill. If you live in a different 'dong', maybe chuck your local bus knowledge up too.
2. Trains
The train and subway network in Seoul is extensive and amazing! Trains move through each station regularly. It is unusual to wait more than 10mins. When you arrive in Korea, KIS will give a 'T-Card'. This is your rechargeable transit card, used for riding on the metro bus and train network. This card can be recharged at a subway station, or at any GS Mart (cash only).
The following link will help you to find out how to get where you need to go. We all live on the Bundang Line (yellow). Don't pay too much attention to estimated times. These are over-inflated. Good job Kristy Fitzgerald for this!
http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/station/eng/linemap.action?eng=Y
How to use the Subway
You will find: How to read the subway map; finding the destination; purchasing a ticket; entering the gate and swiping your prepaid ticket; getting on and off the train safely; transferring between subway lines.
Subway Fastest Times - learn how long it takes to get from point A to point B
If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPodTouch, consider downloading the iKorway Subway Map App (US$2.99). It includes all arrival and departure times and even bathroom locations at each subway station. It comes in Korean, but with some fiddling around you can change it to English.
Your local Subway station and how to get there:
Woomi and Goodmorning Hill
Ori Station (10-15 minute walk and can be reached by following the creek or using the underpass to cross the freeway)
Migeum Station (accessible by most 'Yellow' buses.